Skip to content

Stuart Barnes: Ireland can take a lot of confidence heading into the Six Nations

Image: Ireland: impressive display against New Zealand

What an incredible 2013 finale for New Zealand. The team being dubbed the invincibles after an unblemished 100% winning record in 2013 were taken to the very brink by an inspired Ireland on Sunday.

Stuart answers your emails...

Got a question for Stuart? Email him at skysportsclub@bskyb.com or use the feedback form below...

Hi Stuart, One of my persistent gripes with the modern game, is the length of time afforded to kickers when taking conversions and penalty kicks at goal. The Laws are, I believe, clear on this. In all other areas time wasting is penalised. With the TMO able to adjudicate and call in issues to the ref, a watch could easily be run on the kick, started at the point the choice to kick is made. The TMO could call in to the Ref when time is expired. Sexton is by some distance the biggest offender. Similarly the TMO could judge what is clearly a nonsense, which is the time from the call of 'use it'.
Andrew
STUART REPLIES: Andrew, I agree with you 100%. Well stated. Stuart, I agree with you in that Farrell should start at 10 but I think Luther Burrell has been hard done by... after watching Tigers vs Northampton he really stepped up in a club game with as close an intensity as an international as you will find; Joel Tomkins has looked impotent and has struggled to offload against international defences... what is your view on the squad's centres for the World Cup, when Tuilagi and Barritt are back?
Jake
STUART REPLIES: Jake, it's not just the personnel that is a problem. I think there is a cultural problem in what we want from our midfields. Ten years of English inadeqaucy with the ball in hand testifes to a longer term problem while the high quality of the defence even more strongly hints that attacking virtues and maybe mindset, comes a poor second to defence. Hi Stuart, I can only imagine that Lancaster chose the paceless Tomkins as a placeholder for Tuilagi this autumn (because, at least, he's familiar with Farrell and Ashton); and, presumably, Flood was in the squad ahead of Burns and Ford for a similar reason - and experience. However, suppose Tomkins is the best of the rest: better than Joseph, Trinder and Burrell. Would it then be better to experiment with picking a spare international-class winger/full-back at outside-centre (e.g., Foden)? Similarly, since Flood has the experience to be successfully drafted into a World Cup squad at short notice, would it have been more useful to provide experience to Burns/Ford this autumn (and coming Six Nations)? Finally, given Ugo Monye's world-class pace and power, why has Lancaster been so willing to invest more in the lesser potential of Ashton when England are desperately short of those attributes at the back?
Mike
STUART REPLIES: Blimey Mike, a lot to think about here. Start with the contention that Ugo Monye is world class; he's not. He is a real star at a certain level but lacks world class finishing ability, same as Dave Strettle. Injury hurt Stuart Lancaster's wing plans. In the centre Joel Tomkins is not better than certainly Burrell or Trinder and the Six Nations squad will reflect this, I guess. As for the Flood issue I agree Stuart Lancaster could have been a little bolder in a few areas but these matches are not trials for the Six Nations but the key matches in the World Cup build up so you can understand the manager's desire to pick the team he thinks can win matches now.

Around Sky